Forgotten Hollywood

Manny P. here…

“`Walter Mirisch was a film producer, who was president and executive head of production of The Mirisch Corporation, an independent film company, which he formed in 1957 with brothers, Marvin and Harold. They became responsible for some of the most familiar motion pictures in the last fifty years of the twentieth century. Known in the industry as a perfectionist, he supervised every detail of his films from the earliest stages to the final release.

“`At the age of twenty-nine, Mirisch became production head at Allied Artists Studio, initially only a division of Monogram. Among other films, he supervised the productions of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Friendly Persuasion,  and the Billy Wilder-directed  Love in the Afternoon.

“`The Mirisch Company produced sixty-eight films for United Artists, including three that won the Best Picture Oscars – The Apartment, West Side Story and In the Heat of the Night. Other productions were very popular cinema in Hollywood.  They include:  Some Like it Hot, The Magnificent Seven, the remake of Kid Galahad (with Elvis), The Great Escape, Two for the Seesaw,  The Russians are Coming, The Russians are Coming,  A Shot in the Dark, The Pink Panther, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Midway, Fiddler on the Roof and The Thomas Crown Affair.

“`Honored many time by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Hollywood Foreign Press Association and the Producers Guild of America,  Mirisch was revered by his colleagues. He served as president of the Producers Guild and  Motion Picture Academy at various stages during his long distinguished career.

“`The beloved Walter Mirisch was 101.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`Art Kirsch, John Coleman and I profile the amazing Max Steiner, who defined the music score at the dawn of talkies. His influence was long-reaching and extends to this very day.

“`Enjoy another fun episode of Celebrating Act 2!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`Stella Stevens was a very engaging actress who was a very nimble comedianne. She also worked as a film producer, director and writer. She appeared in three Playboy pictorials, and was a Playmate of the Month for January 1960.

“`Her schooling included a couple of years at Memphis State, where she was noticed in the school play Bus Stop.  The Memphis Press-Scimitar review of that performance sparked her career.

“`After co-starring in Li’l Abner, she signed a contract with Paramount Pictures.  In 1960, she won the Golden Globe for New Star of the Year – Actress for her performance in Say One for Me with Bing Crosby, sharing the distinction with fellow up-and-comers Tuesday Weld and Angie Dickinson.

“`Stevens had roles in  Girls Girls Girls, The Courtship of Eddie’s Father, The Silencers,  The Nutty Professor, Where Angels Go Trouble Follows and The Poseidon Adventure. During the 1960s, she was one of the most photographed women in the world.

“`On television, Stevens guest-starred in  Bonanza, Ben Casey, Police Story, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island,  Wonder Woman, Night Court, Magnum P. I. and Murder She Wrote. She also spent a couple of seasons on Santa Barbara and General Hospital. Her voice was featured on the theme songs of The Patty Duke Show and The Flinstones.

“`Stella Stevens (above right) was eighty four.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`For many baby-boomers, Raquel Welch was a cultural icon.  She was more than an actress, she remains a part of our memories that included Laugh-In, Woodstock, The Graduate and Andy Warhol. And Welch redefined the traditional image of the Hollywood sex symbol with her portrayals of strong women in dozens of movies in the 1960s and 1970s.

“`Born Jo Raquel Tejada in Chicago, her family moved to California and she studied ballet before entering a series of beauty contests. Welch briefly earned a living as a model and cocktail waitress before applying for film roles and breaking into the movie business with cameo parts, including in Elvis Presley’s Roustabout.

“`Welch burst onto the scene after appearing in Fantastic Voyage and One Million Years B. C.  Still photos and posters of her clad in a deer-skinned bikini made her a best-selling pinup and a global icon of beauty. Other movies include  Bedazzled,  Bandalero!, The Magic Christian,  Kansas City Bomber, Mother Juggs and Speed, Legally Blonde and The Last of Sheila.

“`She was not above taking chances by accepting roles turned down by other actresses. In Myra Breckinridge, she portrayed a trans-woman. And she displayed delightful villainy in the Musketeers series of movies. Critics applauded her range and she took home a Golden Globe for The Three Musketeers.

“`On television, Welch guest-starred in Bewitched, The Virginian, Saturday Night Live,  McHale’s Navy, Mork and Mindy, The Muppet Show and Seinfeld. In 1994, she earned her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

“`She became an entrepreneur was involved in a successful line of wigs HairUWear, as well as a collection of jewelry and skin-care products. Playboy ranked her #3 in its 100 Sexiest Stars of the 20th Century. Though she posed for the magazine in 1979, she never did a nude photo shoot. She wanted to be remembered for her body of work and not just her… body!

“`Raquel Welch was eighty-two… I officially feel old.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`IT’S OFFICIAL!

“`Forgotten Hollywood is teaming with the  International Laurel and Hardy Society in an effort to send the film work of Robert Youngson into the Library of Congress National Film Registry in 2023. A two-time Oscar-winning documentarian, Youngson was one of the first advocates in the preservation of silent films. He did so through a series of flicks over the course of a dozen years. We are campaigning to get The Golden Age of Comedy and/or When Comedy was King selected by the Film Registry,  an annual process held at the end of each calendar year. Robert Youngson was truly the Martin Scorsese of his day.

“`Why are The Golden Age of Comedy and When Comedy was King worthy of attention? Here are my compelling arguments:

• Some of Charlie Chaplin’s earliest work (with Mack Sennett) was saved by Youngson
• The Los Angeles City Council just named the Chaplin-Keaton-Lloyd Alley as a city landmark. It is featured by Youngson in a Buster Keaton clip of his production – Cops
• Gloria Swanson’s first role has been preserved. Early silent works of Carole Lombard, Jean Harlow, Wallace Beery and filmmakers George Stevens, Leo McCarey, and Frank Capra are on full display.
• Battle of the Century,  for decades considered Laurel and Hardy’s lost classic, except for portions featured in The Golden Age of Comedy. This was recently restored to its mostly original status after missing celluloid was found.  Deemed so essential after its restoration, the Library of Congress immediately added this to its Film Registry. This remained in the conversation due to its inclusion in Robert Youngson’s production.

“`The best news… It is FREE to vote on the Library of Congress website. And it only takes a couple of minutes. We are not asking for donations or a lot of your time. Simply exercise your franchise and support the genius of a cinematic pioneer who dedicated his attention to saving silent comedy. He also introduced the genre to the baby-boomer generation starting in 1957.

“`While on the website, you can vote (FREE) for up to fifty productions not included in the Film Registry and they provide a list of movies still not in. And that list is quite extensive. They also ask you to single out a couple as to why they deserve special merit. The above reasons should be compelling. Click on the link below to enter the Library of Congress site:

https://www.research.net/r/national-fim-registry-nomination-form

“`On behalf of the International Laurel and Hardy Society and Forgotten Hollywood, please let me offer my heartfelt thank you, in advance. Cinema needs preserving and Robert Youngson is worthy of our appreciation. Did I mention it is FREE to vote?

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`Burt Bacharach was a composer that helped define the 1960s. His massive work with Hal David and Dionne Warwick led to a string of easy-listening hits. Bacharach also contributed to the mid-century cinema soundtrack. More than twelve-hundred artists performed his compositions, which won six Grammys and three Oscars.

“`Bacharach showed a keen interest in jazz as a teen and he used a fake identification to gain admission into nightclubs. He absorbed bebop music from Dizzy Gillespie and jazz from Count Basie, which later influenced his songwriting. Bacharach served in the Army during the Korean War, but wore a tuxedo instead of military fatigues while playing piano in officers’ clubs across America.

“`He worked in New York and became the pianist-arranger for Marlene Dietrich, Vic Damone, Steve Lawrence, the Ames Brothers and Polly Bergen.  Once he teamed with David, success came early and often, as they worked with Marty Robbins, Perry Como, Gene McDaniels and Jerry Butler. Early hits included Tower of Strength, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Baby It’s You, Only Love Can Break a Heart, Any Day Now and Make it Easy on Yourself.

“`His breadth of work was imposing with hits such as Don’t Make Me Over, Anyone Who Had a Heart,  Walk On By, I Say a Little Prayer for You, Do You Know the Way to San Jose, Promises Promises, I’ll Never Fall in Love Again, Wishin’ and Hopin’, Blue on Blue, Wives and Lovers, My Little Red Book, A House is Not a Home, (There’s) Always Something There to Remind Me, The Look of Love, What the World Needs Now is Love, What’s New Pussycat,  Alfie, Casino Royale, (They Long to Be) Close to You, Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,  One Less Bell to Answer, This Guys in Love with You, Arthur’s Theme, On My Own, That’s What Friends are For and The Theme from The Blob.  Whew!!

“`He made personal appearances in the Austin Powers series of flicks.  In 2015, Rolling Stone ranked Bacharach and David at number thirty-two for their one-hundred Greatest Songwriters of All Time. The duo also received the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, the first time the honor has been given to a songwriting team. And he was married for a time to actress Angie Dickinson and songwriter Carole Bayer Sager.

“`One of the most influential composers of twentieth-century popular music, Burt Bacharach (above right) was ninety-four.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`It is time for my annual chat with John Coleman and Art Kirsch with regards to the SAG Awards, They pick my brain to find out which films to watch over the next upcoming month. Always an engaging discussion!

“`Enjoy!!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`On Tuesday, I will head to the Way Out West tent of the International Laurel and Hardy fan club. It is located in North Hollywood, CA. We are honoring the work of famed documentarian, Robert Youngson. Among other things, I will be delivering an oral presentation and the group will be screening Youngson’s, When Comedy was King. He remains deservedly credited for re-igniting silent movie’s popularity by introducing them to baby-boomers. In many ways, his preservation efforts paved the interest by other filmakers, such as Martin Scorsese. Here are the details for this really fun event!

“`The event will be held at the Mayflower Club, located at 11110 Victory Blvd. in NoHo. I will also be autographing my Forgotten Hollywood book series for interested members.

Until next time>                               “never forget”

Manny P. here…

“`It is time to submit my SAG Awards Ballot, highlighting celluloid performances in 2022.  It was clearly a sub-par year in movies. This was the year most affected by Covid 19 restrictions, since there is a lag in film production. Here are my selections:

  OUTSTANDING MALE: Brendan Frasier  (The Whale) 

“`Brendan Frasier gave a career performance while mired in prosthetics.  His theatrical effort could thrive in any year. Outstanding performances were also delivered by Colin Farrell  (The Banshees of Inisherin) and Austin Butler (Elvis). I honestly loved Adam Sandler’s comedic turn in Hustle.  Respected actor Bill Nighy rounds out the field. Eddie Redmayne, honored in the supporting category, should have been considered here for his part in The Good Nurse, since it was a starring role.

  OUTSTANDING FEMALE:  Cate Blanchett  (TAR)

“`A most competitive field, it would be very easy to make a case for any of the five nominees, particularly Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once) and Cate Blanchett.  I give the nod to Blanchett, maybe her best job in a career filled with iconic turns. Yeoh is a popular choice among voters, but Blanchett delivers a layered multi-faceted effort with scene-chewing dialogue. I offer sincere kudos to Viola Davis (The Woman King),  Ana de Armas (Blonde), and Danielle Deadwyler (Till) for their top-notch efforts.

  OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING MALE: Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All at Once)